The Greenport Maritime Festival 2012

With the summer of 2012 finally bowing out this coming weekend (the Autumnal Equinox lands precisely on Sept. 22 at 10:49 a.m.), the Island’s East End is going into its usual fall “festival mode,” with all sorts of harvest-centric gatherings and street fairs happening throughout September, rolling right into October.

Finding a fun occasion on either of the Forks this time of year is as easy as checking town websites (or their Facebook pages), but while there are many, few will be as full of potential as the annual Greenport Maritime Festival. Set to run from Sept. 21-23, it’s an event that will incorporate street vendors, museum and ship tours, live music, a parade, boat racing and more.

It all begins on Friday (Sept. 21) at 10 a.m. with the privateer ship Lynx (privateerlynx.com) opening for public visits (until 2 p.m.) and the U.S. Coast Guard training barque (a three-masted sailing vessel) Eagle (uscga.edu/eagle) making itself available for viewing in the harbor (until 7 p.m.), all followed by a reception at the East End Seaport Museum (on 3rd Street between North and Center Sts., 631-477-2100) from 6 p.m.-9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday (Sept. 22-23) will see the action expand all over town, with sidewalk vendors working along Front, Main and First Streets, while the Railroad Museum (4th Street between Wiggins and Flint Sts., 631-477-0439, rmli.us; $7) and the Greenport Jail and Police Museum (300-316 Carpenter St.) will be open for tours. The Mitchell Park carousel and camera obscura will also be available all day for play, and an interactive “pirate show” is scheduled for two park shows (4 p.m. Saturday, noon on Sunday) as well. Watch for live music to be performed throughout the weekend at Claudio’s (111 Main St., 631-477-0627, claudios.com), while Sunday brings a dory boat race at noon in the harbor and a clam chowder contest from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. (238 Main St.).

For a complete list of and scheduled time for all events, check out eastendseaport.org.